Mine-car loading and haulage means



June 9, 1925.

Filed March 26, 1923 5 Sheets-Shee't 1 June 9, 1925. I 1,541,361

w. G. KNOWLES MINE CAR LOADING AND HAULAGB MEANS June 9, 1925. 1,541,361

w. G. KNOWLES MINE CAR LOADING AND HAULAGE MEANS Filed March 26, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 MGM/0mm Patented June 9, 1925.

"carries STATES artar omen.

WILLIAM ,KN'OXVLES, or assesses, ALABAMA, Assren'oza on ass-ammo ARTHUR T. KNOWLES, 0F EESSEMER, ALABAMA.

Minn-ens LOADING Ana) HAU'L GE mans.

A iplication'filed iviarehae, 1923. Serial No. 27,929.

To all whom it may concern:

le it known that 1, Woman G. KNOWLES, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Bessemer, in the county of Jetferson and State of Alabama, have invented Certain new and useful improvements in Mine-Car Loading and Haulage Means, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mechanism especially adapted for the movement of loose material and its transfer and transportation, and consists essentially in a power driven cable and drum haulage mechanism which is preferably mounted on wheels to facilita'te its transfer to difierent points of use.

The mechanism, in its preferred embodiment as a mine 'car loading means, "comprises two sets of independently controllable drums with cables wound on each, the'cables for one pair of drums being adapted to operate scrape or drag means adapted for collecting, transferring and loading the loose mineral or coalinto inine'cars and the like, and the cables from the other pair of drums being-connected to and adapted to s iit the loaded mine car or train of mine cars 'to and from loading and unloading points.

My invention is more particularly coneerned with the adaptation of a machine of the general type above described so as to give it the maximum usefulness in handling coal or ore inani'nes and to this end it is important to equip the machine with anchorage means which can be quickly and easily applied and released, and which will effectively prevent any possibility of the machine turning over and injuring the workmen or 'dama gin'g itself, particularly when resisting the lateral "thrust du-e to the operation of the loading drag orfiscrape means.

My invention contemplates the incor poration in the machine itself of anchorage means which 'on one side are adjustable to engage the roof and on the other side-t0 engage the floor orgroun'd, "the rooi'l engaging means beingfon the side required to resist the tendency of the machine to turn over responsive to lateral tension.

My invention also contemplates improvements in the adaptation of a single motor to control the drive to each of the drums independently and also to a train of gears utilized to drive the machine itself on its supporting tracks. I

hiy invention also contemplates a novel and effective arrangement of the drums on the machine, those for handling the drag or scrape being set lengthwise of the machine at one side and those for controlling the movement of the trip of loaded cars being disposed transversely of the anach-i'ne at each end, it being understood that the cables are associated with suitably anchored pulleys by means of which they are guided to their work.

My invention also contemplates improvements in the :guides for the stope or drag cables, the same comprising a 'inovingguide roller 'c'o-actinlg with an "elongated roll and with two vertical end roils which are disposed in advance of the guide rolls and in line with the drum so that the cable when in contact with the end rollers will lead in at right angles to the drum and guide roller shafts and thus avoid any la era'lor diagonal pull which would tend tocari-ise the guide rollers to cut or shear the cable or to unduly'wear said rollers.

.My intention also comprises the novel details of construction and arrangements of parts, which in their preferred embodiment only are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whicht- Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view through a mine showing in plan my improved means for loading or transporting of material.

1 Fig. 2 is. an enlarged plan View of the machine. I

Fig. 3 is a side view of the machine with the anchorage means removed; and

Fig. i is an end view'oi the machine showing the anchorage means in operative position.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated which shows it applied to the hand ling of loose material in mines, I show an entry 1., a stope 2, a track '3 in the the entry for a trip of inine cars 4. My improved mechanism 5 is shown comprising a pair of drums '6 at one side controlling 'a cable 7 which passes about a pulley 8 anchored at the far end oi the stop-e. the cable carrying any suitable type of scrapes or drags 9 by which the ore, coal or loose material is adapted to be drawn to the loading chute 1-0 and discharged into the cars. I also provide drums 11 disposed transversely of the machine at each end thereof and a cable 12 from each of these drums passes around guide pulleys 13 and 14 suitably anchored at ends of the entry, one cable passing through a rotary dump 15 which is typical of any suitable dumping means and the two cables being connected at opposite ends to the coupled train or trip of cars 4. The trip of cars is adapted to be moved by the cables 12 under the chute 10 and are successively loaded by the operation of the scrape or drag and then the trip is run to the dump by the operation of the drums controlling the cables 12 and after the contents of the cars have been dumped the empty trip is run back under the control of the cables 12 to the position to be again loaded. The machine itself is adapted to run on a track 16 which is parallel to the track 3 opposite each. sto-pe, this arrangement permitting the machine to be successively moved from stope to stope as it is desire-d to load material therefrom.

Referring now to Fig. 2 which shows the haulage machine in plan view, this machine comprises a suitable frame 17, preferably of structural iron, having suitable cross beams 18 and being equipped with axles 19 on which are mounted wheels 20. Near the center of the machine I mount an electric motor 21, which is typical of any suitable power means for operating the machine. This motor, through gears 22 and 23, serves to drive the main power shaft 24 which is suitably journaled in bearings 25. The shaft 24, at its ends, is mounted to turn in clutch sleeves 26 which are j ournaled in bearings on the end frame members and each of which carries fast on its overhung out-board end a beveled gear 27 which meshes a beveled gear 28 fast on the shaft of the adjacent end drum 11. Adjacent to, and on the outer side of each cross beam 18, I mount loose on the shaft 24 a clutch sleeve 29 carrying a gear 30 adapted to mesh a gear 31 on its respective adjacent drum 6. A clutch 32 controls the elements 26 and 29 on one end of the machine and a clutch 33 controls the same elements at the other end of the machine. These clutches are splined on the drive shaft and when either is moved outwardly towards the adj acent end of the machine it will serve to couple to the drive shaft an end drum 11, and when moved inwardly will couple to the drive shaft a side drum. 6. The drums 11 are mounted in overhung bearings 34 from the ends of the machine and the: drums 6 are mounted on bearings 35.

The cable from each drum 6 passes off laterally between roller guides which for each cable comprise a grooved guide roller 36 in which the cable runs and which is free to slide endwise of the machine on a shaft 37 and an elongated smooth top guide roller 38 which is mounted to rotate in bearings 39 fast on a casting 40 and which serves to hold the cable in the grooved roller. One of these castings 40 is provided above each of the frame end and cross beam 18 and is suitably bolted thereto and preferably ex tends from side to side of the machine. These castings therefore serve to support the bearings 25 and and are raised at one end to support the guide rollers in line with the top level of the drum. On the outer inclined end 41 of each casting 40 I mount a bracket 42- in which is journaled an up right side guide roller 43. The brackets 42 for each drum 6 are overhung inwardly towards each other so that the inside or cable engaging edges of the guide rollers 43 will stand in position to guide the cable inwardly at right angles over the roller. 36 onto the adjacent end of a drum 6, thereby avoiding any diagonal pull from the cable on its guide rollers 36 and 38, as itis this diagonal pull which tends to cause said rollers to shear the cable or to be excessively worn thereby.

The main drive shaft 24 near its center has fast thereon a beveled pinion 44 which meshes a beveled gear 45 fast on a shaft 46 jc-urnaled in a bearing 47 and clutch sleeve 49 mounted in a bearing 48. A clutch collar 5O splined on this shaft is movable to couple the clutch sleeve 49 to the shaft 46 and this sleeve 49 carries on its overhung outer end a gear 51 which serves to drive through 52 to a small gear 53 fast on one of the axles 19. By this means the motor can be disconnected from all other elements and utilized to drive the machine along its tracks.

In order that the machine may be effectively anchored against lateral pull from the drag cables 7, I bifurcate the two end castings 40 at their end remote from the cable guides and between the bifurcations I pivotally mount a roof anchor comprising a screw shaft or rod 54 having in threaded engagement with its upper end a sleeve 55 with a pointed roof engaging spud or tip 56, which sleeve is provided with suitable holes for a jack handle by means of which it may be set in working position.

On the opposite side of the machine from the roof anchors I provide fioor anchors comprising castings 57 attached to the side of the frame proper and having a vertical threaded opening therethrough to receive a jack screw 58 having at its lower end a floor engaging spud or'tip 59 and at its upper end a collar 60 with holes for the jack handle 61.

I provide upon each of the drums 6 and 11 a brake sleeve 62 and on each of these brake sleeves I mount a brake band 63 which,

for the sake of clearness, is shown only in cross section in Fig. 2.

Suitable mechanism, not shown, is provided for the independent operation of these several brake sleeves from an operators platform 6%. I also provide a separate clutch shift 65 for each of the clutch collars 32, 38 and 50, and provide suitable independent operating controls for the same (not shown) leading also to the platform 64. The operation of my invention, as thus described, is as follows. Assuming the machine shifted into line with the stope to be.

worked and that the cable guide pulleys 8, let and 13 have been set and the cables 7 and 12 passed about them, as shown in Fig. 1, I then mount any suitable chocks or clamps on the tracks 16 to prevent endwise movement of the machine on its wheel supports. The roof and floor anchor jacks 5a and 58 are then screwed until the machine is rigidly anchored in position on the tracks. Then, by appropriate control of the clutches and brakes, the cables 7 can be run back and forth, causing the drags 9 to slide back idle over the looseematerial and then to drag it forward and deliver it over the chute 10 into the cars. As the cars are filled I unclutch both drums 6 from the drive shaft and clutch the appropriate drum l1 thereto, whereupon a cable 12 is used to draw the next empty car into loaded position. The clutch driving the end drum 11 is then uncoupled and the brakes are set on said drum or drums 11 to hold the trip of cars in the position to which they were moved, whereupon the clutches are again manipulated to bring the drums G alternately into driving relation with the motor and the drags 9 are moved back and forth alternately. In this way when the entire trip has been loaded theleft hand drum 11 is coupled and utilized to draw the trip of cars to the dump or other means for unloading them. After they have been unloaded the left hand drum 11 is unclutched and the right hand drum 11 is clutched and the trip is pulled back to the chute 10 to be again loaded. 7

.After a stope has been worked it is a simple matter to release the track chocks, loosen up the jacks 58 and 54: sufiiciently to permit the machine to be moved to the next stope where the jacks can be again quickly set and the track chocks applied and the operation repeated.

Though-I have described with great particularity the details of the embodiment of the invention herein shown, it is not to be construed that I am limited thereto, as changes in arrangement and substitution of equivalents may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the in-' vention as defined in'the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a portable winding machine, com prising power driven drums, transverse castings which slope upwardly towards one side of the machine and support guide roller hearings in their higher ends, roof anchors pivotally connected to the lower ends of said castings, and ground engaging anchors mounted on the opposite side of the machine from said roof engaging anchors.

2. A mine loading mechanism comprising, in combination, an entry track, a way par allel with said track, a portable winding machine movable along said way and comprising roof and ground anchors, cables leading in opposite directions endwise from said winding machine, pulleys at the ends of the entry track about which said cables pass and connect to a trip of mine cars on said'track, in combination with means controlled by the winding machine to load said cars.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signa- Norma IVELSH. 

